To Love and Be Loved
by flutist2016
Summary: A continuation of the Christmas Special episode (SPOILERS)


'_We're celebrating the fact that I can still get a proposal at my age.'_

'_And that's… it?'_

Her breath hitched at the hope she saw in his eyes. She stepped closer to him. "Of course I'll marry you, you old booby!" She looked into his eyes, and her heart filled with joy at the love she saw there. This man who she had loved for so long, longer than she could even remember, was finally laying his heart bare for her. _Am I dreaming? Can this really be happening? _Tears threatened to spill over as she smiled and said with all sincerity, "I thought you'd never ask."

She saw the relief in his eyes and smiled affectionately at the man before her. _Her _man. _He really had no idea that I would say yes, daft man. _She noticed tears beginning to form in his eyes and reached out to place a calming hand on his forearm. The couple stood there for a few moments, both lost in their own thoughts, until Mr. Carson spoke.

"Elsie?" He looked questioningly into her eyes.

"Yes, Charles?" She replied, eyes sparkling with happiness at his use of her Christian name.

"May—" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "May I kiss you?"

Looking down nervously at her hand on his arm, he missed the widening of her smile and darkening of her eyes as she replied with a happy chuckle, "Charles." She squeezed his arm, drawing his eyes back to hers. Slowly, she slid her right hand up his arm to rest at the back of his neck. Achingly slowly, eyes fixed on his, she began to gently pull his face down to hers. Her eyes fluttered shut as she prepared to close the last inches of space between them, but she was caught by surprise when he suddenly grabbed her waist, pulled her flush against him, and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. She let out a delighted giggle against his lips and pressed herself tightly to his chest, raising herself up on the balls of her feet. She raked her hands through his hair and was rewarded by a low groan.

For Charles' part, any doubts and nervousness he had were pushed completely out of his mind by the intoxicating feel of Elsie's lips on his. He responded to her caresses with equal ardor and boldly slipped his tongue out to run it across her bottom lip. He felt her body shiver beneath his hands, and he would have been worried if not for her breathy moan that followed. She parted her lips under his and they both gasped at the intimate sensation.

Elsie pulled back abruptly to look into Charles' eyes. They were frozen in time, both overwhelmed by love too deep for words. The rest of the world faded away, and there was only a man and his beloved, a woman and the man she adored.

Elsie traced her fingertips along his temple and opened her hand to cup his cheek. "I love you." It was a simple declaration, but each word brought with it the weight of decades of feelings.

A single tear fell down his cheek as he replied, "And I love_ you_, my darling treasure." He raised his hands from her waist to cradle her face. He wanted to remember everything about her in that moment—the flush of her cheeks, the way her eyes crinkled as she smiled, her soft pink lips. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into an embrace. She sighed in pleasure, resting her head under his chin and wrapping her arms around his back.

They held each other in silence for a few moments. As they embraced, Elsie became aware of Charles' growing arousal pressing into her stomach. Her cheeks flushed as she recalled their heated kisses of just a few moments prior. His hands on her back felt like fire, and blood rushed from her brain as she imagined the freedom she now had to touch him and to be touched by him.

She pulled back only slightly to look at him. "Charles, kiss me again." It was a command to which he eagerly obliged. She immediately opened her mouth to him, inviting him to deepen the kiss. She had never known anything more sensual than the feeling of his tongue in her mouth, and she pressed her body impossibly closer to him. His hands began to wander from her waist to stroke her bottom, and she moaned into his mouth, grinding her hips against his. He ran his hands over her back and sides, slowly realizing that he felt softness where he had expected to find the hard barrier of her corset. The thought of her bare skin being separated from him by only a thin layer of fabric sent a jolt of arousal through his body, and he sent up a silent prayer of thanks for the changes in women's fashion. Slowly, tantalizingly, he ran his fingertips up her sides until he skimmed over the sides of her breasts.

Her breath hitched and he dared to open his palm against the sides of her chest. He slowly began to massage her breasts through her dress, relishing the weight of them in his hands. His lips and tongue teased her neck as she threw her head back in delight. She clung to his shoulders, breathlessly whispering his name. He loved the sound of his name on her lips and the way her lilting brogue caressed each syllable. He moaned into her neck, kissing a trail along her jaw and back up to her lips. One hand moved to the small of her back and the other to run through her hair as he peppered her lips with feather-light kisses.

Charles spoke against her lips, "Elsie darling, I would love nothing more than to remain here with you, but we may be missed upstairs if we linger for much longer."

She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment before letting out a shaky breath. "Charles, I hope you know how happy you have made me tonight." She smiled, reaching up once again to caress his cheek. He leaned into her palm as she continued, "I have loved you for so long, and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of our lives together. You've brought joy to an old woman, my love."

Her eyes brimmed with tears of happiness as he pressed one more kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, he held out his hand, "Shall we return upstairs," he leaned in conspiratorially, "Mrs. Carson?"

Elsie laughed happily and took his hand as they made their way upstairs into the hall to rejoin the Christmas festivities. They slipped unnoticed into the back of the crowd and sang along to the final Christmas hymn, Charles' hand resting comfortably on the small of Elsie's back. She leaned into his side as close as she dared and gave a contented sigh.

Charles gazed warmly down at his wife-to-be, a happy refrain permeating his thoughts: _The woman I love loves me_. _There cannot be a more blissful thought than that. _

End.


End file.
